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Novak Djokovic kisses the winner's trophy after beating Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final in early July. (CARL COURT / AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

Roger Federer, seen here blowing a kiss to spectators after his loss in the Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic, is now 32 years old and has been plagued lately by back issues. (GLYN KIRK / AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

Andy Murray enjoyed a career year in 2013, when he captured four titles, inlcuding Wimbledon. (Pavel Golovkin / The Associated Press)

The big four in men’s tennis — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray — do not seem ready to concede anything to the young guns coming up.

They still have plenty left in the tank, and are likely to retain their status as the best in the game for some time to come.

For one thing, except for Federer, who is 32, they are in the prime of their tennis careers. Djokovic and Murray are only 27, and Nadal is 28. It’s conceivable that they have many more Grand Slam titles to come.

The one who is most likely to step away from the tennis stage first is Federer. He has won 17 Grand Slam titles and his legacy as arguably the best tennis player ever has already been cemented. He’s got very little left to prove to the tennis world.

Federer, whose ranking has slipped from No. 1 in the world, has lately been limited by back injuries. The wear and tear on the tennis circuit is such that he will likely play for only a couple more years. However, it’s clear he still loves the game and likes to challenge himself.

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Murray is still hungry to add to his trophy case, although he’s had a history of back injuries. In fact, Murray had minor back surgery in 2013, yet bounced back in strong fashion.

Murray was disappointed by a straight-sets loss to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon. He took very little time off afterwards and began training hard in Miami for the hard-court season.

Murray enjoyed a career year in 2013, when he captured four titles, including Wimbledon. In winning at the All England Club, Murray became the first British man to win the crown in 77 years.

Murray is a relatively late bloomer as a tennis champion. He didn’t win his first Grand Slam until 2012 at the U.S. Open. It was the fifth time he had advanced to the finals of a Grand Slam event, and his breakthrough put his career on a new trajectory.

Lately, Murray’s ranking has been falling, slipping all the way to No. 10 this month, and some have questioned his decision to take on 2006 Wimbledon winner Amelie Mauresmo as his temporary coach.

His disappointing loss at Wimbledon was the first time the two had worked together. Previously, Murray had won the U.S. Open and Wimbledon under the legendary player Ivan Lendl.

Former Wimbledon champion Virginia Wade told a news organization that she believes Murray has becoming too defensive and isn’t as aggressive as he needs to be in his tactics.

It’s hard to see Nadal going anywhere soon. He is as competitive as they come. His grinding baseline style relies on physical fitness and determination, and no one can wear down an opponent quite as effectively as he can.

Nadal is another one who has had back problems, which likely prevented him from winning the Australian Open, where he was upset by Stan Wawrinka. Having won 14 Grand Slam titles, the Spaniard is now only three behind career leader Federer at 17.

Nadal’s rivalry with Djokovic is the best in tennis, with Nadal holding the edge 4-3 in Grand Slam finals.

Djokovic is an emotional player, and sometimes if he’s not feeling the emotion, he can lose interest in a match, or lose faith in his ability to win. That wasn’t the case at the All England Club. He was brought to tears when he captured his second Wimbledon crown.

ESPN called the three-hour and 56-minute match an “instant classic.” Federer was the crowd favourite and he indicated after the match that he will be back next year.

Yet you have to wonder if Federer still has the hunger to win or whether complacency will set in.

“I already have seven (Wimbledon titles),” he said after the match. “It’s not like I need another one.”

The Wimbledon final was Djokovic’s fourth finals appearance in his last five Grand Slams. He won the Australian Open in 2013, but lost in the finals of every other major that year.

All four tennis giants have games that are pleasing to watch.

Federer is the most naturally gifted. He moves with such grace that it looks effortless. He’s also perhaps the best server, especially on grass.

At Wimbledon, he fired 29 aces to only 13 for Djokovic.

Djokovic has perhaps the most varied game of the top four, and can win at the baseline or at the net. He’s also got a great return of serve.

Nadal is the slugger, who is willing to punish his opponent with those heavy lefty topspin forehands, which makes his game perfect on the slow clay surface of Paris.

Murray has an all-around game, but he’s perhaps the most fragile of the four. His ranking has been slipping and he’s most in danger of slipping out of the elite circle if he doesn’t regain the intensity it takes to be a champion.

Murray has won two Grand Slam titles, while Federer has 17 titles, the most ever on the men’s circuit. Nadal has won 14, the same number captured by Pete Sampras, while Djokovic has six.

Of all of them, Nadal and Djokovic appear to be the best bets to add to their Grand Slam trophy cases. The jury is still out on the aging Federer and the inconsistent Murray.

Time is certainly running out on Federer. There are few players who were able to capture Grand Slam titles in their 30s. Federer was among them when he won Wimbledon in 2012 at age 30.

Andre Agassi was the last player from the current era to capture a Grand Slam title past the age of 30. Agassi was 32 when he won the Australian Open in 2003. Sampras won his last title, the U.S. Open, when he was 31 in 2002.

For now, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray are still the masters of the court and it seems that only age, injury or complacency can stand in their way.

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